1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of electronic apparatus for sorting, that is, for receiving numbers in the form of digital signals having numerical values on a plurality of input paths, and for directing them onto predetermined output paths, with the numerical values, or relative values, of the input signals determining the output paths on which they are transmitted onto the output paths, or the order in which they are transmitted onto a single output path. The invention is particularly useful in apparatus which is amenable to construction using very large scale integration techniques.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many operations in a digital data processing system, it is desirable to sort a plurality of input values to place them in some order, that is, to transmit them onto a particular ordered set of output lines, or to transmit them in order on a single line. Previous sorters have used software sorting techniques which require the intervention of a central processing unit or an auxilliary processing unit dedicated to the sorting process. Software sorting techniques are relatively slow, however, which delays the speedy execution of the program that includes the sorting operation.
Recently, hardware sorters have been devised which take some of the load off of the central or auxilliary processors. However, these hardware sorters generally are also relatively slow.